Identifying the positioning in a multiple display grid

ABSTRACT

In an approach for determining relative positioning in a multiple display grid, a processor receives positioning information from sensors operably affixed to at least a first display and a second display. A processor analyzes the positioning information to determine a relative positioning between at least the first display and the second display. A processor generates an extended display on the at least the first display and the second display, based on the analyzed positioning information.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to the field of display grids,and more particularly to dynamically determining the relativepositioning of a multiple display grid and adjusting the imagestransmitted to the displays of the multiple display grid.

A display device is an output device for the presentation of informationin visual or tactile form. When the input information is supplied as anelectric signal, the display is called an electronic display. Commonapplications for electronic visual displays are televisions and computermonitors. Originally, computer monitors were used for data processingand television receivers were used for entertainment. As timeprogressed, computers, and computer monitors, have been used for bothdata processing and entertainment, while televisions have implementedsome computer functionality.

SUMMARY

Aspects of an embodiment of the present invention disclose a method,computer program product, and computing system for determining relativepositioning in a multiple display grid. A processor receives positioninginformation from sensors operably affixed to at least a first displayand a second display. A processor analyzes the positioning informationto determine a relative positioning between at least the first displayand the second display. A processor generates an extended display on theat least the first display and the second display, based on the analyzedpositioning information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a computing system, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a flowchart of the steps of a display program, executingwithin the computing system of FIG. 1, for dynamically determining therelative positioning of a multiple display grid and adjusting the imagestransmitted to the displays, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 depicts an example of a display grid, in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of components of the server and/or thecomputing device of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With the current state of multiple display grids, a static manualconfiguration is required of the displays with regard to the relativeposition to one another. Embodiments of the present invention recognizethat many users leverage two or more monitors, some of which may beattached to a laptop, such that the operating system's desktop/workspacespans the two or more monitors. Currently, the user enters aconfiguration panel in the operating system and indicates the positionof the displays relative to one another. Additionally, embodiments ofthe present invention recognize that moving a display from the originalposition could lead to confusion, mistakes, or other problems.Embodiments of the present invention detail a program that can be usedto dynamically determine the relative positioning of a multiple displaygrid and adjust the images transmitted to the displays.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detailwith reference to the Figures.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of computing system 10, in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 provides anillustration of one embodiment and does not imply any limitations withregard to the environments in which different embodiments may beimplemented.

In the depicted embodiment, computing system 10 includes server 30 andcomputing device 40 interconnected over network 20. Network 20 may be alocal area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as theInternet, a cellular data network, any combination thereof, or anycombination of connections and protocols that will supportcommunications between server 30 and computing device 40, in accordancewith embodiments of the invention. Network 20 may include wired,wireless, or fiber optic connections. Computing system 10 may includeadditional computing devices, servers, or other devices not shown.

Server 30 may be a management server, a web server, or any otherelectronic device or computing system capable of processing programinstructions and receiving and sending data. In some embodiments, server30 may be a laptop computer, tablet computer, netbook computer, personalcomputer (PC), a desktop computer, or any programmable electronic devicecapable of communicating with computing device 40 via network 20. Inother embodiments, server 30 may represent a server computing systemutilizing multiple computers as a server system, such as in a cloudcomputing environment. In another embodiment, server 30 represents acomputing system utilizing clustered computers and components to act asa single pool of seamless resources. In the depicted embodiment, server30 contains display program 110 and display database 120. In otherembodiments, server 30 may include other components, as depicted anddescribed in further detail with respect to FIG. 4.

Computing device 40 may be a desktop computer, laptop computer, netbookcomputer, or tablet computer. In general, computing device 40 may be anyelectronic device or computing system capable of processing programinstructions, sending and receiving data, and communicating with server30 via network 20. In the depicted embodiment, computing device 40contains sensors 130-1 and 130-2 and renderer 140. In other embodiments,computing device 40 may include other components, as depicted anddescribed in further detail with respect to FIG. 4.

Display program 110 dynamically determines the relative positioning of amultiple display grid and adjusts the images transmitted to thedisplays. In doing so, display program 110 receives positioninginformation from sensors, such as sensor 130-1 and 130-2. Displayprogram 110 analyzes the positioning information. Display program 110connects images and cursor positioning. Display program 110 may standalone or display program 110 may be embedded in renderer 140. In thedepicted embodiment, display program 110 resides on server 30. In otherembodiments, display program 110 may reside on another server or anothercomputing device, provided that display program 110 can access displaydatabase 120, sensors 130-1 and 130-2, and renderer 140 via network 20.

Display database 120 may be a repository that may be written to and/orread by display program 110. In some embodiments, a program (not shown)may allow an administrator or other user to define various positions ofa display grid and store the various positions of a display grid todisplay database 120. In other embodiments, display database 120 maystore already determined positions of a display grid. In the depictedembodiment, display database 120 resides on server 30. In otherembodiments, display database 120 may reside on another server oranother computing device, provided that display database 120 isaccessible to display program 110 via network 20.

Sensors 130-1 and 130-2 may be any device capable of detecting events orchanges in an environment and providing a corresponding output. In oneembodiment, sensors 130-1 and 130-2 may provide a corresponding outputof a change in position to display program 110. In other embodiments,sensors 130-1 and 130-2 may provide a corresponding output of a changein position to renderer 140. Examples of sensors 130-1 and 130-2 may be,but are not limited to: near field communication (NFC) devices,radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, Bluetooth® devices,accelerometers, and/or gyroscopes. In some embodiments, sensors, such assensor 130-1 and 130-2 may be operably affixed to one or more displaydevices that make up a multiple display grid. For example, an NFC deviceor other sensor may be operably affixed (either internally or externallyto the display casing) to each side of the display. Such an arrangementmay allow for each sensor (e.g., sensor 130-1 or sensor 130-2) to detectother sensors, such as a sensor operably affixed to a side of a seconddisplay. In such an embodiment, a gyroscope may additionally be operablyaffixed to one or more of the displays (either internally or externallyto the display casing) to detect orientation of the respective displays.In the depicted embodiment, sensors 130-1 and 130-2 reside on computingdevice 40. In other embodiments, sensors 130-1 and 130-2 may reside onanother computing device or another server, provided that sensors 130-1and 130-2 are accessible to display program 110 and renderer 140 vianetwork 20.

Renderer 140 may be any rendering program used to process data from ascene file and output to a digital image or raster graphics image file.A scene file usually contains objects in a strictly defined language ordata structure, containing geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, andshading information as a description of a virtual scene. Rendering hasuses in architecture, video games, simulators, movie or TV visualeffects, and design visualization, each employing a different balance offeatures and techniques. As a product, there are a wide variety ofrenderers available. In one embodiment, renderer 140 is integrated intolarger modeling and animation packages. In other embodiments, renderer140 is stand-alone. In some embodiments, renderer 140 is a freeopen-source project. Renderer 140 is a program that is based on aselective mixture of disciplines related to: light physics, visualperception, mathematics, and software development. In the depictedembodiment, renderer 140 resides on computing device 40. In otherembodiments, renderer 140, or similar renderers, may reside on anothercomputing device or another server, provided that renderer 140 hasaccess to sensors 130-1 and 130-2 and is accessible to display program110.

Embodiments of the present invention may include two or more sensors;thus, there can be a sensor 130-1, a sensor 130-2, and up to a sensor130-n. The depicted embodiment uses sensor 130-1 and sensor 130-2 simplyfor illustrative purposes.

FIG. 2 depicts a flowchart of the steps of a display program, executingwithin the computing system of FIG. 1, in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention. Display program 110 dynamically determines therelative positioning of a multiple display grid and adjusts the imagestransmitted to the displays.

In step 210, display program 110 receives positioning information. Inone embodiment, display program 110 receives positioning informationdirectly from sensors 130-1 and 130-2. In other embodiments, displayprogram 110 receives positioning information from renderer 140 afterrenderer 140 receives the positioning information from sensors 130-1 and130-2. In some embodiments, display program 110 receives the positioninginformation and stores the positioning information to display database120.

As described above, examples of sensors 130-1 and 130-2 include, but arenot limited to: NFC devices, RFID tags, Bluetooth® devices,accelerometers, and/or gyroscopes. In one embodiment, one or moresensors, such as sensors 130-1 and 130-2, are embedded along the edgesof a display, such as display 1 310 or display 2 340 (seen in FIG. 3).When, for example, one or more displays are placed next to one another,the sensors (e.g., sensors 130-1 and 130-2) can provide information todisplay program 110, such that display program 110 forms an associativegrid with the displays.

In step 220, display program 110 analyzes the positioning information.In one embodiment, display program 110 constructs a graph thatrepresents the relative position of a set of displays, based on knownsensor pairing associations. A sensor pairing association may be createdwhen one or more sensors (e.g., sensor 130-1 and 130-2) detect anothersensor. For example, if each of the one or more sensors are NFC devicesoperably affixed to one or more sides of displays, a first sensoraffixed to a first side of a first display may detect a second sensor ofa first side of a second display, and this information may be analyzedby display program 110, such that display program 110 determines thatthere is a sensor pairing association between the first sensor and thesecond sensor. Using this information, display program 110 may determinethat the first display is positioned next to the second display, suchthat the first side of the first display and the first side of thesecond display are adjacent to one another. In other embodiments,display program 110 constructs and stores a graph that represents therelative position of a set of displays, based on known sensor pairingassociations. In some embodiments, the graph is stored to displaydatabase 120.

In step 230, display program 110 connects images and cursor positioning.In doing so, display program 110 generates an extended display, orextended mode, where the extended display creates one virtual displaywith the added resolution of all participating displays. In oneembodiment, renderer 140 positions the images on the displays asinitially instructed by a user in the configuration panel. Subsequently,display program 110 rearranges the images and dynamically and seamlessly(without user intervention) connects the images and cursor positioningto follow the relative positioning and orientation of the set ofdisplays in the multiple display grid, based on known sensor pairingassociations. In other embodiments, display program 110 initiallyconnects images and cursor positioning, dynamically and seamlessly,without requiring initial instructions by a user in the configurationpanel. Still, in other embodiments, display program 110, via renderer140, arranges the images by dynamically and seamlessly (without userintervention) connecting the images and cursor positioning to follow therelative positioning and orientation of the set of displays in themultiple display grid, based on known sensor pairing associations.

In FIG. 3, environment 300 depicts an example of a display grid, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Environment 300 depicts a multiple display grid that includes Display 1310, S 1:1 320, S 2:3 330, and Display 2 340. In the depictedembodiment, Display 1 310 and Display 2 340 are external displays (e.g.,computer monitors). In the depicted embodiment, S 1:1 320 and S 2:3 330are sensors (e.g., near-field communication, Bluetooth, radio-frequencyidentification), which are examples of sensors 130-1 and 130-2 (seen inFIG. 1) that are attached to the external displays. It should be notedthat each of the sensors (e.g., S 1:1 320, S 1:2, S 2:3 330, S 2:2, S3:1, S 3:4, S 4:1, S 4:3, S 4:4, and S 5:4) may be located internally orexternally to each respective display. Further, there may be a greateror fewer number of sensors affixed to each display, and each display mayinclude a different number of, and configuration of, sensors.

As an example, in step 210 of FIG. 2, display program 110 may receiveposition and orientation information from S 1:1 320 and S 2:3 330concerning the space and proximity of Display 1 310 in relation toDisplay 2 340. When S 1:1 320 and S 2:3 330 come in proximity, a pairingassociation is dynamically established and communicated to displayprogram 110 and/or renderer 140. Notice that in the case of Display 5,since the association is made between sensors S 4:1 and S 5:4, displayprogram 110 can determine that Display 5 is in a vertical positioninstead of a horizontal position like all of the other displays. Thecommunication of pairing data from the displays to display program 110and/or renderer 140 may occur over existing channels, such as a cablelinking the display to a computing device or a network connectionestablished between the display and a computing device.

FIG. 4 depicts computer system 400, which is an example of a system thatincludes components of server 30 and/or computing device 40. Computersystem 400 includes processors 401, cache 403, memory 402, persistentstorage 405, communications unit 407, input/output (I/O) interface(s)406 and communications fabric 404. Communications fabric 404 providescommunications between cache 403, memory 402, persistent storage 405,communications unit 407, and input/output (I/O) interface(s) 406.Communications fabric 404 can be implemented with any architecturedesigned for passing data and/or control information between processors(such as microprocessors, communications and network processors, etc.),system memory, peripheral devices, and any other hardware componentswithin a system. For example, communications fabric 404 can beimplemented with one or more buses or a crossbar switch.

Memory 402 and persistent storage 405 are computer readable storagemedia. In this embodiment, memory 402 includes random access memory(RAM). In general, memory 402 can include any suitable volatile ornon-volatile computer readable storage media. Cache 403 is a fast memorythat enhances the performance of processors 401 by holding recentlyaccessed data, and data near recently accessed data, from memory 402.

Program instructions and data used to practice embodiments of thepresent invention may be stored in persistent storage 405 and in memory402 for execution by one or more of the respective processors 401 viacache 403. In an embodiment, persistent storage 405 includes a magnetichard disk drive. Alternatively, or in addition to a magnetic hard diskdrive, persistent storage 405 can include a solid state hard drive, asemiconductor storage device, read-only memory (ROM), erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, or any othercomputer readable storage media that is capable of storing programinstructions or digital information.

The media used by persistent storage 405 may also be removable. Forexample, a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storage 405.Other examples include optical and magnetic disks, thumb drives, andsmart cards that are inserted into a drive for transfer onto anothercomputer readable storage medium that is also part of persistent storage405.

Communications unit 407, in these examples, provides for communicationswith other data processing systems or devices. In these examples,communications unit 407 includes one or more network interface cards.Communications unit 407 may provide communications through the use ofeither or both physical and wireless communications links. Programinstructions and data used to practice embodiments of the presentinvention may be downloaded to persistent storage 405 throughcommunications unit 407. Display program 110 and display database 120may be downloaded to persistent storage 405 of server 30 throughcommunications unit 407 of server 30. Sensors 130-1 and 130-2 andrenderer 140 may be downloaded to persistent storage 405 of computingdevice 40 through communications unit 407 of computing device 40.

I/O interface(s) 406 allows for input and output of data with otherdevices that may be connected to each computer system. For example, I/Ointerface 406 may provide a connection to external devices 408 such as akeyboard, keypad, a touch screen, and/or some other suitable inputdevice. External devices 408 can also include portable computer readablestorage media such as, for example, thumb drives, portable optical ormagnetic disks, and memory cards. Software and data used to practiceembodiments of the present invention, e.g., display program 110 anddisplay database 120, can be stored on such portable computer readablestorage media and can be loaded onto persistent storage 405 of server 30via I/O interface(s) 406 of server 30. Software and data used topractice embodiments of the present invention, e.g., sensors 130-1 and130-2 and renderer 140, can be stored on such portable computer readablestorage media and can be loaded onto persistent storage 405 of computingdevice 40 via I/O interface(s) 406 of computing device 40. I/Ointerface(s) 406 also connect to display 409.

Display 409 provides a mechanism to display data to a user and may be,for example, a computer monitor.

The programs described herein are identified based upon the applicationfor which they are implemented in a specific embodiment of theinvention. However, it should be appreciated that any particular programnomenclature herein is used merely for convenience, and thus theinvention should not be limited to use solely in any specificapplication identified and/or implied by such nomenclature.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles ofthe embodiment, the practical application or technical improvement overtechnologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinaryskill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer system for determining relativepositioning in a multiple display grid, the computer system comprising:one or more computer processors, one or more computer readable storagemedia, and programs stored on the one or more computer readable storagemedia for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, theprogram instructions comprising: program instructions to receivepositioning information from a renderer after the renderer receives thepositioning information from, at least, a first sensor and a secondsensor operably affixed to at least a first display, at least, a thirdsensor and a fourth sensor operably affixed to a second display, and, atleast, a fifth sensor and a sixth sensor operably affixed to a thirddisplay, wherein the sensors include near field communication (NFC)devices, radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, Bluetooth devices,accelerometers, and gyroscopes; program instructions to analyze thepositioning information to determine a relative positioning andorientation between, at least, the first display, the second display,and the third display by creating a sensor pairing associations betweenthe first sensor and the third sensor and between the second sensor andthe fifth sensor, wherein a graph is constructed, based on the sensorpairing associations, that represents the relative positioning andorientation of, at least, the first display, the second display, and thethird display; and program instructions to generate an extended displayon, at least, the first display, the second display, and the thirddisplay, based on the analyzed positioning information, wherein imageson the extended display are arranged dynamically and seamlessly withoutuser intervention.